Jim is a theoretical physicist at the University of Surrey where he holds a Distinguished Chair in physics as well as a university chair in the public engagement in science. He received his PhD in nuclear reaction theory in 1989 and has published widely in the field. His current interest is in open quantum systems and the application of quantum mechanics in biology.

He is a prominent author and broadcaster. He has written 14 books on popular science and the history of science, between them translated into twenty-six languages. His latest book, The World According to Physics, was shortlisted for the Royal Society Book Prize. He is a regular presenter of TV science documentaries, such as the Bafta nominated Chemistry: a volatile history, and he hosts the long-running weekly BBC Radio 4 programme, The Life Scientific.

Jim is a past president of the British Science Association and a recipient of the Royal Society Michael Faraday medal and the Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal, the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal and the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication. He received an OBE in 2007 and a CBE in 2021 for ‘services to science’.

In his latest book, The Joy of Science, Jim presents 8 short lessons on how to unlock the clarity, empowerment, and joy of thinking and living a little more scientifically.

In this brief guide, Professor Al-Khalili invites readers to engage with the world as scientists have been trained to do. The scientific method has served humankind well in its quest to see things as they really are, and underpinning the scientific method are core principles that can help us all navigate modern life more confidently. Discussing the nature of truth and uncertainty, the role of doubt, the pros and cons of simplification, the value of guarding against bias, the importance of evidence-based thinking, and more, Al-Khalili shows how the powerful ideas at the heart of the scientific method are deeply relevant to the complicated times we live in and the difficult choices we make.

Available on Amazon

https://jimal-khalili.com/

https://twitter.com/jimalkhalili

Topics in this interview include:

• The tension between art (poetics) and science. What can science learn from poetry?
• What is the difference between wisdom and knowledge?
• What does the phrase "follow the science" mean to you?
• What is the "scientific method”?
• What do you think about Karl Popper's philosophy and the falsification rule?
• The problem with authority bias.
• What's your philosophy regarding science outreach and popularization?

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